Show Flying Squadron Helps Heps Maintain Fleet Morale By JAMES IES L. L KILGALLEN HONOLULU INS The Ladies Ladie of the Flying Squadron they are called They are an organization of ot Honolulu girls who are doing doing doing do do- ing as much as any single element element ele ele- ment in m upholding the morale of ot that part of Uncle Sams Sam's Pacific fleet that bases in Pearl Harbor They are cooperating wholeheartedly wholeheartedly whole whole- wholeheartedly heartedly with Lieutenant Commander Commander Commander Com Com- mander S. S R R. Hickey U S N recreation and morale officer of the Pacific fleet whose job it is isto isto isto to provide recreation for the young gobs when they reach port after days at their battle stations at sea and are given givena a little shore liberty The girls most of whom have defense jobs devote their Sunday Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day afternoons their afternoons their one free afternoon in the week week week-to to dancing dancIng dancing ing with the boys of ot the fleet They are the better class business business business busi busi- ness girl type most of them from 18 to 25 years of ot age and how they can dance A Handpicked Group They are handpicked and and according to Lieutenant Commander Commander Com Com- mander Hickey must be by the mayors mayor's committee before they are eligible to become flying flying flying fly ing squadron members Other girls have tried to crash these Sunday afternoon hops with the gobs without success We really get a workout at these dances one of the squadron squad squad- ron leaders Miss Clara Clark pretty year old blonde employed employed employed em em- by the public relations department of the Fourteenth naval district told International News Service today But its it's fun Many of the boys are young 18 or 19 years old and they're a bit bashful But they're all aU gentlemen and seem to have a grand time at the hops Usually there are two boys for every girl and of ot course theres there's a lot lotof lotof of ot cutting in Because of the blackouts and the 6 p p. p m m. martial law curfew the Sunday dances are held from 1 30 to 4 p p. p m. m Theres There's always a good band from one of the ships ship on hand to turn on real music Gobs Are it In Invited In d The gobs come to the dances by Invitation The invitations are rotated so that as many boys as possible are given an opportunity to trip the light fantastic with the girls of ot Honolulu Hono Hono- lulu Hostesses see to it that there are no wallflowers Usually about sailors attend a dance 6 The dances however are only part of Lieutenant Commander Hickeys Hickey's morale-building morale program program program pro pro- gram He stages boxing bouts baseball games tennis matches vaudeville shows and other rec rec- recreational recreational recreational events There is something doing aUthe all aU the time for our boys of the fleet said Lieutenant Commander Commander Com Com- mander Hickey Of course the tho flying squadron dances are one of the best morale-builders morale of all aU Another popular event is the Battle of Music a contest to determine the best bands in inthe inthe inthe the fleet All basketball and football fields swimming pools and ten ten- nis courts are open at all aU times for men from the ships The Saturday afternoon boxing boxing box box- ing bouts are a great attraction We put on five two-round two bouts for kids as a curtain raiser for five major bouts between the up grown-up fighters of the fleet The kid fighters receive 1 win lose or draw and they work to earn it The winners of the major major ma ma- jor bouts each receive a small golden glove Softball according to Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieu Lieu- tenant Commander Hickey is the most popular sport with the gobs with boxing dancing swimming s running up close from the standpoint of interest In addition the boys engage in baseball basketball archery tennis handball and wrestling Our sailors need recreation now more than ever ever before said Lieutenant Commander Hickey They are here on serious serious seri seri- ous pus business and they know It But they must have recreation after having been at their battle stations 24 hours a day on out blacked-out ships I served on a submarine in the thelast thelast thelast last war I know that when I came into port I didn't want to sit in my barracks and read I wanted to have some fun So do these boys We try to make their 9 a. a m m. to 4 p p. p m m. liberty period a time when they can really relax in a pleasant wholesome manner and I think we are succeeding succeed succeed- ing Lauds Morale l of Fleet Asked what he thought of the morale of Uncle Sams Sam's sailor boys Lieutenant Commander Hickey replied The action of those boys on December 7 when the Japs attacked Pearl Harbor shows that the morale of our navy particularly the younger boys was then then and and is now now per percent cent Before taking his present job Lieutenant Commander Hickey was executive executive- officer of the Cuyama Cuyama Cuyama Cu- Cu yama a navy oller Last May Mayhe Mayhe Mayhe he was ord ordered red to Honolulu to organize the morale and recreation recreation recreation tion of the Pacific fleet forces afloat It was the idea of ot Admiral Admiral Admiral Ad Ad- miral James 0 O. Richardson former commander of the fleet Hickey arrived in Honolulu on May 22 Hickey selected 25 men as his assistants and took over football football foot foot- ball baU fields swimming s pools and athletic fields With the cooperation cooperation coop coop- of the U US S 0 O and the mayors mayor's committee his recreational recreational recreational organization grew On July 4 last he established what is known as the Richardson Recreational center and on October October Oc Oc- Oc tober 1 put in the Bloch Recreational Recreational center enter named after Admiral Admiral Ad Ad- AdI I miral C. C C. C Bloch another former former former for for- mer commander In chief of the fleet Attained Great Popularity These recreational centers attained great popularity with the boys of the navy particularly particularly after December 7 when they began moving into Pearl Harbor in growing ever num num- bers One of the big events recently recently recently re re- re- re staged was a blackout review staged for the army and navy by a group of actors and actresses supplied by the USO Blackout regulations have restricted restricted restricted re re- recreational activities somewhat but not the most popular ones such as u the Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day afternoon dances of The Ladies of the nn Flying Squadron Answers to Cranium Crackers 1 The lion In Aesop's fable kept all aU the game himself 2 The Pyrenees mountains make a natural boundary between between between be be- tween France and Spain 3 Barrier between hero and heroine of It Happened One Night was a blanket thrown n over a clothes line 4 Russia Prussia and Austria Austria Austria Aus Aus- tria partitioned Poland years before before before be be- fore Hitler 5 William Tell TeU divided the apple by shooting it from hisson's his hisson's hisson's I sons son's head with a bow and ar ar- row |